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All creations posted on this blog are copyright Carol Byrne. Please, play nice and don't copy my creations and claim them as your own for publication on your blog, other web forums/galleries or magazine publications. Please ask for my permission, or give credit where credit is due and post a link back to my blog. Thanks!

Thank you Marcia!

The photograph in my blog header was taken by my friend Marcia who graciously allowed me to use it in my blog after I ooooh'd and aaaah'd over it last summer. Thanks so much, Marcia!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

No, not Happy Birthday to me.....to Carol! Of Carol's Ink Spot! She had a milestone birthday this week and is celebrating all week long by asking her blog readers to make happy, springy birthday cards. Since I can always use birthday cards, I decided to play along.

I just had to make another ribbon flower with my homemade 'gluber'. I saw the sketch for this card in the latest issue of CardMaker magazine by Tami Mayberry, and I just loved its simplicity. I happened to have this dotted paper scrap sitting on my desk and decided to go for it! Sorry, don't remember the manufacturer, but I do know the sentiment is from PTI. Ribbon, cardstock and gems from my stash.

And, Carol, I do hope you had a wonderful birthday! Thanks for having the challenge...I enjoyed playing along!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

I can't believe it!
I am actually posting the One Layer Wednesday challenge the same day as it was revealed!
Woo-hoo!

Jennifer Styles is hosting the challenge this week, which can be seen over at her blog, Styles Ink. The rules for this week are as follows:

This week’s challenge is to make a one-layer musical themed card. Anything to do with music. Sheet music, musical instruments, an image of someone singing; anything that in some way relates to music.

The first three all use a music stamp from Stampendous. The first two use a sentiment also from Stampendous. The first two are basically the same except that one is horizontal, one is vertical. I couldn't decide which to do so i did both. The third uses a sentiment from a G Studio $1 set.

The next two incorporate the musical Scrapblock by Cornish Heritage Farms. LOVE this stamp. Used the same sentiments as above.

I've got another really fun stamp I need to use for this challenge. Will try to do it over the weekend.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Yes, folks! Christmas in February!
That's this weeks' challenge over at the Simplicity blog for One Layer Wednesday. And, here's what we have to do this week if we want to play along:

OLW41 Rules1. A one-layer card is defined as a single layer of cardstock folded in half. No other layers allowed.2. Make a Christmas (or Season's Greetings, if you prefer) card, but you must use green and red on white or cream. Feel free to be creative with the shades of green and red...you don't have to stay traditional. You can also use natural-style cardstock, watercolor paper, or textured paper as long as it's white or cream. Keep embellishments to a minimum. Extra points if you do like I did and use an image that isn't specifically holiday!

Well,I didn't have much to work with, since I don't have access to all my stamps...all I could come up with stamp-wise with a Christmas theme were my G Studio $1 stamps. Let's just say that not all $1 stamps are created equal, are certainly not in any way, shape or form as good as clear photopolymers made here in the good ol' USA, and truly do affect the end result. Truly an exercise in frustration, and after an entire afternoon of attempts and a full garbage can, came up with this:

Sorry, folks. This is my best effort for this week's challenge. It was either this or nothing. It was time to move on to something more rewarding.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Ever since Tami Mayberry was a guest designer for Skipping Stones, I have been hooked on their design sketches. They are just my style...not overly clean and simple, but, not overly frou-frou. Just right.
I needed a birthday card and sketch #64 fit the bill.

Pretty simple and straightforward. Patterned paper from MME, cardstock from my stash. Used distress ink in tea rose and memento potter's clay. PTI sentiment and EK Success border punch. Colored the gemstones from my stash with copics. And that flower? Well, Cosmo Cricket's new Glubers that were announced at CHA have me hook, line and sinker. No, I didn't use a Gluber(a super-sized glue dot!)....but, I kind of made one myself with a punched cardstock circle and some red line tape. Took some ribbon and just started ruffling it from the outer edge of the circle spiraling in towards the center. I used a mini glue dot to finish off the center loop and hide the cut edge. I think it turned out pretty cute for a first try! It was so easy and simple to do....I think I'll make lots more!

But, the card I drew inspiration from and the card I made are pretty different. That's what inspiration is all about...that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Used the woodgrain texture plate from PTI (one of my all time favs!), a heart border punch from EKSuccess, heart punch from Fiskars, and made my letters from the 12 inch sizzlet in the SU catalog. Those letters are the perfect size for cards. Love it!

My second card is made with SU's Sweetheart set and the SU sizzix heart embosslit. Simple and cute.

I think that is just a stinkin' adorable set. Especially with the heart embosslit that FITS INSIDE the heart shapes! Woo-hoo! I think that's the fact that took me over the edge and made me buy this set. Haven't bought too many SU stamp sets in the last year...they're just not doin' it for me. But, this one did!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Another One Layer Wednesday Challenge! Hosted this week and every other week by the talented Jennifer Styles at her blog, Styles Ink. Hard to believe this is the 40th week of this challenge. It is my favorite challenge and one I play along with the most.

This week's challenge involved making a one layer card using ONLY 2 images. Embellishments kept to a minimum. I dusted off my SU! Bloomin' Beautiful and colored the images with copics.

I think I am getting a bit better with my coloring and blending of colors, but the light source shading could definitely use some work. I can't wait for the new copic book to come out next month that addresses this subject. I need all the help I can get!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

This week's challenge is all about using a single image, a border and a little bling on a single layer card. Tougher than it sounds. Since I need a few more Valentine cards, I decided to follow this theme. The end result is a kraft card base with my image and border stamped in Memento Lady Bug Red. The heart border is from Impress Rubber Stamps and the birdcage is by Craft Smart....$1.00 stamps from Mike's.

I added a little bit of red Spica glitter pen to some of the red hearts and my clear Sakura glitter pen to the open heart of the birdcage and bird wings.

I really think this needs a sentiment. I think I am going to go back and add one. Something like Happy Valentine's Day. Perhaps above the heart border on the right side. What do you think??﻿